Edward Pentin of the National Catholic Register (not to be confused with the National Schismatic Reporter) writes about the intervention (speech) made by His Eminence Card. Sarah at the Synod.

Cardinal Sarah: ISIS and Gender Ideology Are Like ‘Apocalyptic Beasts’

Full text of synod intervention reveals the cardinal spoke of need to proclaim beauty of monogamy and family and called for more respect and transparency among synod fathers.

[… skipping LOTS of good analysis…]

Speaking to the Register and Aleteia at the end of a meeting of African bishops on Saturday, Cardinal Sarah said that by retaining the three controversial paragraphs in the instrumentum laboris, he believes “there is an agenda they are trying to impose.”

[…]

And now Card. Sarah’s own words [My emphases and comments]:

Intervention of Robert Cardinal Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

I feel a strong need to invoke the Spirit of Truth and Love, the source of parrhesia in speaking and humility in listening, who alone is capable of creating true harmony in plurality.

I say frankly that in the previous Synod, on various issues one sensed the temptation to yield to the mentality of the secularized world and individualistic West. Recognizing the so-called “realities of life” as a locus theologicus means giving up hope in the transforming power of faith and the Gospel. [“realities of life” is code used to slither into the Kasperite position, which subjects theology to polls and fads and shifting mores, which in theology replaces philosophy with politics.] The Gospel that once transformed cultures is now in danger of being transformed by them. Furthermore, some of the procedures used did not seem aimed at enriching discussion and communion as much as they did to promote a way of seeing typical of certain fringe groups of the wealthiest churches. [read: Germany] This is contrary to a poor Church, a joyously evangelical and prophetic sign of contradiction to worldliness. Nor does one understand why some statements that are not shared by the qualified majority of the last Synod still ended up in the Relatio and then in the Lineamenta and the Instrumentum laboris when other pressing and very current issues (such as gender ideology) are instead ignored. [Because the rules were changed to obtain a rigged outcome.]

The first hope is therefore that, in our work, there by more freedom, transparency and objectivity. For this, it would be beneficial to publish the summaries of the interventions, to facilitate discussion and avoid any prejudice or discrimination in accepting the pronouncements of the synod Fathers.

2. Discernment of history and of spirits

A second hope: that the Synod honor its historic mission and not limit itself to speaking only about certain pastoral issues (such as the possible communion for divorced and remarried) but help the Holy Father to enunciate clearly truths and real guidance on a global level. For there are new challenges with respect to the synod celebrated in 1980. A theological discernment enables us to see in our time two unexpected threats (almost like two “apocalyptic beasts”) located on opposite poles: on the one hand, the idolatry of Western freedom; on the other, Islamic fundamentalism: atheistic secularism versus religious fanaticism. [If I remember correctly Benedict XVI used a similar approach in his first Message for the World Day for Peace.] To use a slogan, we find ourselves between “genderideology andISIS”. Islamic massacres and libertarian demands regularly contend for the front page of the newspapers. (Let us remember what happened last June 26!). From these two radicalizations arise the two major threats to the family: its subjectivist disintegration in the secularized West through quick and easy divorce, abortion, homosexual unions, euthanasia etc. (cf. Gender theory, the ‘Femen’, the LGBT lobby, IPPF …). On the other hand, the pseudo-family of ideologized Islam which legitimizes polygamy, female subservience, sexual slavery, child marriage etc. (cf. Al Qaeda, Isis, Boko Haram …)

Several clues enable us to intuit the same demonic origin of these two movements. Unlike the Spirit of Truth that promotes communion in the distinction (perichoresis), these encourage confusion (homo-gamy) or subordination (poly-gamy). Furthermore, they demand a universal and totalitarian rule, are violently intolerant, destroyers of families, society and the Church, and are openly Christianophobic.

“We are not contending against creatures of flesh and blood ….” We need to be inclusive and welcoming to all that is human; but what comes from the Enemy cannot and must not be assimilated. [NB]You can not join Christ and Belial! What Nazi-Fascism and Communism were in the 20th century, Western homosexual and abortion Ideologies and Islamic Fanaticism are today. [Get that?]

3. Proclaim and serve the beauty of Monogamy and the Family

Faced with these two deadly and unprecedented challenges (“homo-gamy” and “poly-gamy”) the Church must promote a true “epiphany of the Family.” To this both the Pope (as spokesman of the Church) may contribute, and individual Bishops and Pastors of the Christian flock: that is, “the Church of God, which he has obtained with his own blood” (Acts: 20:28).

We must proclaim the truth without fear, i.e. the Plan of God, which is monogamy in conjugal love open to life. Bearing in mind the historical situation just recalled, it is urgent that the Church, at its summit, definitively declare the will of the Creator for marriage. How many people of good will and common sense would join in this luminous act of courage carried out by the Church!

Together with a strong and clear Word of the Supreme Magisterium, Pastors have the mission of helping our contemporaries to discover the beauty of the Christian family. [NB] To do this, it must first promote all that represents a true Christian Initiation of adults, [Do I hear an “Amen!”?]for the marriage crisis is essentially a crisis of God, but also a crisis of faith, and this is an infantile Christian initiation. [infantile!] Then we must discern those realities that the Holy Spirit is already raising up to reveal the Truth of the Family as an intimate communion in diversity (man and woman) that is generous in the gift of life. We bishops have the urgent duty to recognize and promote the charisms, movements, and ecclesial realities in which the Family is truly revealed, this prodigy of harmony, love of life and hope in Eternity, this cradle of faith and school charity. And there are so many realities offered by Providence, together with the Second Vatican Council, in which this miracle is offered.

Outstanding. Nothing squishy there.

What was lacking, however, was a reference in the context of Christian initiation, was a word about the importance for a renewal of our sacred liturgical worship.

The Cardinal is dead on right about all these points. However, to combat them, we need a strong, even hard, Catholic identity. Without proper sacred liturgical worship… we can’t have that.

It is interesting that Cardinal Sarah uses “demonic” and “two apocalyptic beasts” in discussing homosexualists and Islamists. I have long believed, and had an orthodox Catholic scripture scholar confirm the possibility, that homosexuals in the West and Muslims in the East will have a role in the Apocalypse, perhaps as the two riders of the Pale Horse of the Apocalypse: Death and Hades (Rev. 6:7-8).

And just as my father and older brother had to confront Naziism and I ( to some extent, well no actual shots fired ) had to confront Marxist Socialism, so our children and grandchildren will have to confront Muslim terror of every sort, all of which will include Sharia Law, an example of which we are experiencing today in Saudi Arabia, a country and ruling family, a mere 75 years old? which has to go!.

The book is wonderful. For one thing, it reminds me a bit of St Augustine, because it actually has a lot of autobiographical details in it, and for me, somebody who knows next to nothing about the Church in Africa, especially in the dark days of the 1960s and the “revolutions,” it was fascinating to see how a young boy from a Christian family lived through this. It reminded me a lot of the Confessions of St Augustine or even the writings of St Patrick, both children of pagan/Christian families being reared or living in mostly pagan environments. And Cdl Sarah is very charming, you can imagine him as a young boy going off from his village to the seminary in the “big city” with his parents fearing for him all the time.

But his comments on the Faith and Our Lord are wonderful, and as he moves along and is asked more about his understanding of things, you will really find things that make you stop to think. He was a disciple of Ratzinger and has a profound philosophical and theological education, and in addition is an amazing linguist. If only he could be our next Pope…or perhaps, if nothing else, he will be our next Augustine and BXVI will go down in history as his Ambrose.

The good thing about this Synod is that I am reading all the books put out by the orthodox Cardinals – The eleven Cardinals book, and Christ’s New Homeland -Africa are on their way to me.
God bless Cardinal Sarah for his staunch defence of the faith.

Now I know why Cardinal Marx changed his tune from “we are not a subsidiary of Rome’ to now saying we must unify around the pope. That’s because Pope Francis will do what Cardinal Kasper has argued for since the time of St. JPII and Benedict XVI: [This is something I mentioned in a comment before…] That is, there has been an on-going debate between (then) Ratzinger and Kasper on the relation between the universal church and the local church. The decision to give Communion to divorced and remarried Catholics has long been cited by Kasper as a perogative of the local church. However, an important principle/question is at stake here, and that is – what is the role of the “universal church” – and what weight is to be given to statements/principles expressed by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The real issue in the argument between Kasper and Benedict has always been: Does Rome, and in particular, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith have the definitive say of how God intended us to live in order to gain eternal salvation? Or can local churches do their own interpretation.

It looks like Pope Francis will go with the latter…. seeing that he has already eschewed consultation with the Congregation of the Faith, the Apostolic Signatura…etc on his new annulment process. He doesn’t seem to have much trust in the processes developed by the Church over time.

I am praying the rosary daily for the participants in the Synod – and for my adopted bishop. …as I simply cannot believe that the Holy Spirit can be so contradictory.

Oh, my word. How often have we longed to hear those kinds of words from our Cardinals and Bishops! Reading that, one can only see the disparity between the kind of banal blather we often have inflicted on us, and the real thing. God bless Cardinal Sarah and the African bishops. God bless them and keep them. My heart really is full of gratitude for some light in all this darkness.
Please God, that other good bishops find personal boldness and such clarity of thought and expression.
The prongs of attack are many. If matters, any of them, are left up to regional diocese, one can expect the radicals to immediately begin their complete departure from whatever remaining shreds of Catholicism they still retain. Dissidents count on social experimentation in one area. Once it’s there, it spreads by promotion and social pressure. Insidious. The pope can prevent that (and so much more) by simply not allowing it.

“The Gospel that once transformed cultures is now in danger of being transformed by them. “

As far as soundbites go, this is one of the most stirring things I’ve heard in years. Unfortunately, it’s an unsettling kind of stirring.

“This is contrary to a poor Church, a joyously evangelical and prophetic sign of contradiction to worldliness. “

One of the less significant (compared to his fidelity and clarity, but still of real significance) appeals of Cardinal Sarah to me is how his history in impoverished and unstable Western Africa relates to this sort of statement. He simply can’t be dismissed as a rich, white, pro-establishment bureaucrat. He led a poor, non-European diocese and challenges much about the establishment. Actually, there’s some interesting similarities between his backgrounds and Pope Francis’. I hope this is enough that Pope Francis will give his intervention close attention.

Let me suggest that this is an intervention that comes from a heart overwhelmed with a passionate love of Jesus Christ and his Church. This an intervention that comes from a heart that is, in a word, converted, and so Cardinal Sarah knows that holiness is possible, fidelity is possible, chastity is possible, and that a vigorous evangelization of even the most secular corners of society is possible. Because he knows in a personal way that with God all things are possible. And, you know, isn’t that what the synod is really about?

Cardinal Sarah is cut out of the same cloth as Sts. Nicholas and Athanasius, both of whom were present at the first ecumenical council at Nicaea in 325. Athanasius (then an assistant to his bishop) undoubtedly witnessed the famous slap that Nicholas administered to the heretic, Arius. Sarah speaks the truth.

And now we hear the USCCB, our Bishops, have written to President Obama asking him, ASKING HIM, to bring 200,000 Muslims to the United States from Syria. Keep in mind that the neighboring nations like UAE, Kuwait, Quatar, etc., are refusing to take these “refugees” because they believe some/many are ISIS operatives. What can explain this bizarre action? They are completely out of touch with the realities here. Simple math would also tell anyone with common sense what we will have in 20 years. My God.
I don’t mind telling you, I have had it with the USCCB. This horrible Synod just put the cherry on top. This Synod is changing many things.

Our pastor said something along those lines in a recent sermon. That we are born male and female and that nothing we do to mutilate ourselves can ever change that. That men and women are complimentary and are meant to support and love each other in marriage between a man and a woman. He got a very loud AMEN after the sermon.

Someone please start the slow clap, because I can only imagine Cdl. Sarah dropping the mic after this. The farther into his book I get, the more I absolutely love him as a prince and shepherd of the church. He is brilliant and these words need to be proclaimed to the whole world. I pray the Synod fathers listen to him and take his words to heart.

West Germany is an American science project and has been used by neo-conservatives (bedfellows of cultural Marxists) as a template for the recent Middle Eastern wars. To complain about Germany is to complain about our own handiwork. That is the present flaw in “conservative” and tradionalist circles. In order for German thinkers to embrace again the Faith would require a repudiation of the post-war settlements and hegemonies (there are still 50,000 American troops in that country).

Which is, I guess, why Konrad Adenauer, when he refused to sell out his country into supposed neutrality according to an offer of Stalin, was heavily attacked by the left for letting Catholic faith dominate his politics (because that move, while totally justified in itself, had the side-effects that the Prussian heartlands were outside the Federal Republic and that the Federal Republic had a solid Catholic majority).

No, West Germany is as German as Germany can be (in a republican manner). It is the 1871 Empire (and certainly the Nazi realm) that was un-German by comparison.

– Note also that the German preference for American music was not planted by the American troops; it was firmly present throughout the Third Reich, the Nazis’ almost desperate but never successful measures to stamp it out are sufficient proof for it.

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